1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the manufacture of cheese, and more particularly, to an apparatus used to form multiple blocks of compressed natural cheese during a single run.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While natural cheese in many forms enjoys wide use by consumers, it is a relatively expensive product due in great part to the use of hand labor and the long processing time required to produce the cheese. This is especially true of cheeses such as longhorn which are produced in round blocks having a maximum weight of twenty pounds. Because of their round shape and small size, these types of blocks continue to be produced by hand. Although the cheese block formers of the prior art typically produce blocks of cheese in square, forty pound blocks, they are not satisfactory for producing small, round blocks of cheese.
The conventional, natural cheese processing and manufacturing process involves the formation of a cheese curd from milk. Customarily, pasteurized milk is inoculated with a cheese starter culture of a selected microorganism. The inoculated milk is then cultured to develop flavor. Rennet or another suitable coagulant is then added to the cultured milk to form a curd. The curd is transferred to a drain table or similar device so that excess whey drains from the curd such that a curd matte is formed. Next, the curd matt is cut and salted. Salting adds flavor to the curd and assists in extracting whey trapped in the fat molecules of the curd. Once salted, the curd is placed in hoops or other suitable molds which are typically fitted with cheesecloth, and the curd is pressed to remove residual whey such that a cheese block is formed. The cheese blocks are then removed from the hoops, and each cheese block is aged for a predetermined period of time to produce a product which meets the appropriate standard of identity for the cheese being made.
For smaller blocks of cheese, these operations have been and, to a large extent, still are carried out by hand. However, hand production of cheese involves considerable expense and subjects the product to contamination by workers, airborne contaminants (microorganisms) and contaminated equipment. Furthermore, due to human variations in procedures, the product quality is typically not uniform.
With respect to large blocks of cheese, an increasing volume of cheese is being manufactured commercially by forming blocks of natural cheese from prepared cheese curd by forming a pillar of curd in upright cheese block formers. Typically, these cheese formers comprise a hollow tower having an opening at the bottom of the tower. A perforated tubular column is disposed within the tower and over the hole such that an annular drainage passage is formed between the column and the tower. A guillotine is disposed below the tower, the blade of the guillotine movable between a closed position closing the lower end of the column and an open position in which the lower end of the column is open. A vacuum is maintained in the tower during the cheese making process to draw curd into the tower. With the bottom of the column closed, curd is introduced at the top of the tower into the perforated column such that a pillar of curd is formed within the column. As the pillar of curd forms, whey is expressed from the lower end of the pillar of curd due to the weight of the curd superimposed thereon. The whey passes through the perforations in the column and into the drainage passage. The vacuum functions to draw the curd into the tower, as well as draw whey out of the curd pillar. An elevator positioned below the tower functions to lower the pillar of curd when the guillotine is in an open position, allowing the lower end of the pillar of curd to project out of the lower end of the column. When a pillar of curd is supported in this manner, the guillotine blade is moved into its closed position such that a block of cheese is cut from the lower end of the pillar of curd. The blocks of cheese are then ejected onto a conveyor for transport to a packaging station.
A device representative of the prior art is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,972. In this patent, the tower comprises a tubular casing, and the perforated lining comprises a preformed tube formed as an integral structure prior to fitting of the tube into the tower. The perforated lining is square, and although pre-formed, the lining is permanently attached inside the tower. The inner portions of the tower, including the perforated lining, are cleaned by way of spray balls positioned within the tower. Once a block of cheese has been cut and lowered by an elevator positioned below the tower, the block is ejected through a door in the base of the elevator by way of an ejector ram.
While various automated procedures exist for preparing large blocks of cheese, the prior art does not teach devices which are suitable for preparing smaller blocks of cheese in a cost effective manner. The cheese block formers of the prior art produce square blocks of cheese weighing forty pounds or more, and as such, the prior art cheese block formers are not suitable for producing blocks of cheese having a round shape and weighing in the range of twenty pounds or less. In addition, the prior art devices do not produce a product which is ready for packaging without further processing. Once a forty pound block of cheese has been ejected from a prior art block former, the cheese block is transferred to another station for packaging. This additional processing results in higher costs and increases the likelihood of contaminating the product before packaging. Finally, because the internal perforated tubular linings are typically fixed within the prior art devices, the linings are difficult to remove for cleaning or replacement.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for economically producing round blocks of cheese in the weight range of zero to twenty pounds. The cheese blocks as formed should be ready for packaging without further processing. Additionally, in that further processing is not required, it would be desirable to package the cheese blocks immediately after they have been cut by the guillotine blade.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cheese block former having an internal, perforated screen which is easily removable for cleaning and maintenance and easily interchangeable with screens having other shapes and/or dimensions.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.